I know it may sound crazy, but I prefer fall weather over summer. I especially love to hike and do other outdoor workouts in the fall when the weather is cooler and crisp.
Summer hiking tends to be more popular. My favorite hiking spots are far more crowded in the summer months than the fall months, making it hard to even find parking.
However, fall hiking is by far my favorite time to hike. I like that it is cooler, less crowded and just a more pleasant way for me to get exercise.
When I hike in the summer I have to take a lot more into consideration. Being sensitive to the heat, I usually end up with a headache after my summer outdoor workouts like hiking and biking. When I hike during the summer I usually wear a hat, load up on sunscreen, take a backpack with several water bottles, and just deal have more factors to deal with.
When I hike in the fall, my clothing options are less limited. In the summer I have to take more care in what I wear so I don’t get too hot. In the fall I can wear shorts or pants, any color t-shirt, and most likely a light jacket I can tie around my waste when needed.
Also when I hike in the fall, there is a lower chance of dehydration and heat exhaustion. Where I live, fall weather is usually sunny skies with some clouds and the air is brisk. Although I still wear sunscreen and take a water bottle, there is far less for me to take into consideration.
My favorite place to hike is near where I grew up and I am thankfully less than twenty minutes away from there. If you are new to your area and looking for places to hike, I suggest asking friends and co-workers who like to do outdoor activities for recommendations.
Often city or county websites list hiking and biking areas on their website. Many regions have official organization websites, such as in the Northern California we have openspace.org, a great site for finding many hiking trails. Or there are also unofficial websites such as bahiker.com, a great tool for trail ideas.
Do you prefer hiking in the summer like many of my friends? Or do you also prefer cooler seasons like I do?
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